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Kirk cutting close on lobbying

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Ron Kirk, the nominee for U.S. Trade representative, does not technically violate President Barack Obama’s new rules against lobbyists entering the administration, but does bump up against them in a couple of instances.

A former mayor of Dallas, Kirk was a registered lobbyist in Texas when his nomination was announced in December, according to filings with the Texas Ethics Commission. In 2008, he listed as his only lobbying client Merrill Lynch & Co., which is being purchased by Bank of America in the wake of the financial crisis.

Kirk is no longer registered as a lobbyist.

Obama’s new ethics rules only apply to federally registered lobbyists, so Kirk will not need a waiver to take his new job. But as a partner in the Houston-based law and lobbying powerhouse Vinson & Elkins, he has represented quite a few high-profile corporate clients that could rankle some Democrats.

Kirk garnered a lot of attention in Texas when he successfully lobbied the Legislature on behalf of private equity firms seeking a buyout of TXU Corp., an electric utility. It was the largest leveraged buyout in history at the time of its completion.

Kirk parlayed that experience into a gig as co-chairman of the Compete Coalition, a national advocacy group representing big power suppliers and buyers that fights for deregulation and against re-regulation of energy markets.

The group has lobbied Congress and federal agencies in its quest. Though Kirk has not registered to lobby for it, a financial disclosure form released Tuesday by the Office of Government Ethics shows he was paid more than $5,000 for legal services provided to it last year.

And while not technically a lobbyist for the coalition, Kirk’s role for it certainly involved advocacy on behalf of large corporations.

“Mr. Kirk said he'll approach other Democrats, both national and state leaders, about the issue” of the importance of competition and open markets, The Dallas Morning News reported in October 2007.

The disclosure form also shows that in the last year Kirk represented Wal-Mart., a corporate giant that has drawn the ire of some progressives upset with their labor policies. Other clients include private equity firms Pharos Capital Group LLC and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Energy Future Holdings Corp. (TXU’s post-buyout name), Converge Inc. and ACS State and Local Solutions Inc.

Is Politico going to spend the next four years talking about "cutting close" instances that do not violate the President's lobbying stance??..That's really fun for "gotcha" journalism but the fact remains that the Obama administration has is light-years ahead of any prior adminstration regarding lobbying stance...The Undersecretary who represente Raytheon was DEFENDED by the Secretary of Defense for his unique ability to "get his arms around the Pentagon"..Of course THAT wouldn't be worthy of "reporting" in today's press...Maybe the media can start to "put away childish things"??? ...Nah, let's talk about the next "almost","exception","near miss" when the President stops by to say hello to Politico.